Filter-plate.



No. 813,395. PATBNTED FEB. 27, 1906. W. B. ALLBRIGHT.

FILTER PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8.1904.

,55,5415 vlfif WILLIAM B. ALLBRIGHT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FILTER-PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rammed Feb. 27, 190e.

Application filed August 8,19011. Serial No. 219,866.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. ALLBRIGHT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Filter-Plates, of which the following is a specification,

In the ordmaryfilter-presses now in use the plates employed to form the filtering-chambers are placed vertically face to face in series, the faces being concaved, so tha-t their centers, which are flat and channeled, are spaced apart a sufficient distance to give the ltering-chambers formed between them the capacity desired. The faces of the plates are covered with the filtering-cloths, and the cloths are clamped and firmly held in position by the pressure thereon from the abutting and overhanging edge portions or rims of the plates. In the common construction of these plates a smooth unbroken surface has been left extending from the ribbed portion of the plates outward and forward to the vertical edge surfaces of the rims. Although this smooth surface, extending as it does all around the plate, forms a considerable part of the plates aggregate area, but little, if any, filtration occurs through the portion of the cloth lying directly over it, because its unbroken surface permits the cloth to lie close and evenly against it at allpoints, so that the fluid parts of the stock cannot get through the cloth, and not only is the smooth surface referred to an obstruction to the filtration of the stock coming against it, but the filteringcloth, by reason of its close contact with the surface, obstructs the flow of the filtered stock from the drainage-channels in the cen ter of the plate to the final outlet at the bottom of the plate. Both these features of the operation are obviously objectionable, and the first especially so, as it reduces the proper filtering capacity of the plate and prevents the effective filtering of such of the material as may find its way into position between the smooth surfaces of adjacent plates, and my object in the present invention is to remove the objections.

The nature of my improvement is fully described below, and also illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of the face of my the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial enlarged vertical section showing a plurality of plates assembled in the press. .F ig. 4 is a partial horizontal section.

In said drawings, 6 represents the body or central portion of the plate having vertical ribs 7, dividing the surface into drainingchannels 8 and acting to support the lteringcloth 9 in such manner that the stock may filter through the cloth and enter the channels. Surrounding the channeled center or body portion of the plate is the space 10, which, as above explained, has heretofore been left with a smooth and unbroken surface. I now provide it with means for supporting those portions of the filtering-cloth which vcome over it at separated points, so as to allow the lard or other material to pass entirely through the cloth and then be free to flow to the outlet. The means I have adopted for this purpose consist of a series of buttons or rounded projections 11, shown best at the enlarged figures, and distributed over the surface so that the lard may flow between and around them. The surface 10 is shown as curved; but that feature is immaterial.

The rim of the plate is shown at 12, and, as shown, it considerably overhangs or projects forward from the plane of the center or ribbed portion 6. When the plates are assembled, the margins of the cloths are clamped between the vertical edges of the rims of adjacent plates, as will be understoodfrom Fig. 3, and the filtering-chambers 13 are formed between adjacent plates, as will be understood from said figure. The stock is forced into the chambers 13 through the openings 14 in the centers of the plate and is prevented from getting behind the cloths at said openings either by sewing the two cloths covering the opposite faces of each plate together at the opening or by fastening their edges surrounding the opening to the plate by appropriate means. Both these methods are in common use and well understood.

The metal loops 15 support thel plates when in the press and form means whereby they may be handled and manipulated, and 16 is the discharge-cock connected with the outlet-passage 17. j

It will be noted that by my invention the space 10 is converted into effective filtering improved filter-plate. Fig. 2 is a section on area, increasing the capacity of the plate,

neled means for supporting the filtering-cloth at separated points above its plane, a forwardly-proj ecting rirn, and a surface between and connecting said center and rim, said connecting-surface being likewise provided with round knobs or buttons for supporting the cloth at separated points above its plane, in combination with a ltering-cloth resting upon the supporting means of said connecting-surface.

`WILLIAM Bv. ALLBRIGHT.

Witnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, Eow. S. EvARTs. 

